San Francisco Opera OPERA IS ON Streaming Performances Announced, June 20–July 4

San Francisco Opera continues streaming performances as part of its Opera is ON initiative with Richard Strauss' Salome (June 20), Jules Massenet's Manon (June 27) and Carlisle Floyd's Susannah (July 4). The presentations, filmed live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House, will be viewable on demand for free at sfopera.com on the streaming date starting at 10 am PT and expiring at 11:59 pm the following day.

The 2009 presentation of Richard Strauss' Salome is a co-production with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Opéra de Montréal directed and choreographed by Séan Curran with production designs by Bruno Schwengl and lighting by Christopher Maravich. Strauss' 1905 one-act opera, featuring Hedwig Lachmann's German translation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 play as the text, is best known for its shocking, intense situations based on Biblical literature and the composer's extraordinary score, including the sensual "Dance of the Seven Veils." German dramatic soprano Nadja Michael portrays the title role and bass-baritone Greer Grimsley is the object of her desire, Jokanaan (John the Baptist). The cast also stars tenor Kim Begley as Herod, mezzo-soprano Irina Mishura as Herodias and tenor Garrett Sorenson as Narraboth. San Francisco Opera's former Music Director Nicola Luisotti leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Salome is performed in German with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 1 hour, 50 minutes.

San Francisco Opera's most recent staging of Jules Massenet's Manon in 2017, a new co-production with Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Israeli Opera, features the role debuts of soprano Ellie Dehn as Manon and tenor Michael Fabiano as Chevalier des Grieux. Opera News proclaims Fabiano's portrayal of Manon's lover "a powerhouse vocal performance." The opera's libretto, by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille based on the novel by Abbé Prévost, tells the story of a young woman whose plans to enter a convent are interrupted by her falling in love with des Grieux and attempting to evade the schemes of Guillot (Robert Brubaker). With stage direction and costume designs by Vincent Boussard, the production's creative team also includes set designer Vincent Lemaire and lighting designer Gary Marder. French conductor Patrick Fournillier "[leads] the orchestra in a rigorous rendition" of Massenet's popular 1884 work (San Francisco Classical Voice). Baritone David Pershall is Manon's cousin Lescaut, bass James Creswell is Chevalier des Grieux's father, Comte des Grieux, and baritone Timothy Mix is De Brétigny. The San Francisco Opera Chorus is prepared by Chorus Director Ian Robertson. Manon is performed in French with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Set in New Hope Valley, Tennessee, Carlisle Floyd's Susannah is one of the most frequently performed 20th-century works in the American operatic repertoire. Floyd's libretto, loosely based on the story "Susannah and the Elders" from the biblical Apocrypha, centers on an innocent, teenage girl who is falsely accused as a sinner by her church community. This "brilliant," "magnificent" (San Francisco Chronicle) 2014 Company premiere is a San Francisco Opera co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera. Director Michael Cavanagh directs the cast starring soprano Patricia Racette in the title role; tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Susannah's brother, Sam Polk; bass Raymond Aceto as the villain, Reverend Olin Blitch; tenor James Kryshak as Little Bat and mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook as Little Bat's mother, Mrs. McLean. In her Company debut, Karen Kamensek conducts the cast, the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus "with superb musical direction" (The Mercury News). The production features set designs by Erhard Rom, costumes by Michael Yeargan, lighting designs by Gary Marder, choreography by Lawrence Pech and fight direction by Dave Maier. Susannah is performed in English with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 1 hour, 45 minutes.

In response to the global pandemic, San Francisco Opera launched Opera is ON in April 2020 to engage with audiences and share great artistry worldwide. The streaming of past San Francisco Opera performances began on May 9 with Boito's Mefistofele and continued with I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Moby-Dick, Lucrezia Borgia and Il Trittico. Current and 2020-21 San Francisco Opera subscribers and members (donors of $75 and up) retain access to the streamed titles after their window of public access. For more information, visit sfopera.com/operaison.

To post a comment, you must register and login.